Police have reportedly determined what caused the crash that resulted in Alijah Arenas being placed into a medically induced coma on Thursday.
Arenas, the 18-year-old son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was involved in a serious crash while driving a Cybertruck in the Los Angeles, Calif., area early Thursday morning. The car crashed into a fire hydrant and slammed into a tree before catching fire. Arenas, who was the driver, had to be rescued from the vehicle.
According to a report from TMZ on Friday, Los Angeles Police Department officials believe Arenas lost control of the Cybertruck because he was driving at an excessive speed. The crash occurred on a two-lane residential road in the San Fernando Valley where the speed limit was 40 mph.
The Arenas family provided an update on Alijah’s condition on Friday. They said in a statement that Alijah is no longer in a coma, though he is still intubated. The family also provided an account of the events from one of the people who helped pull Arenas from the burning vehicle.
Some photos that circulated on social media showed Arenas’ car looking extremely mangled. The front passenger side wheel of the Cybertruck had come off, some airbags were deployed and the side windows had to be broken. There was also a video from an eyewitness that provided some perspective of the frightening scene.
Arenas is a five-star prospect and already viewed as a likely NBA player. The California prep standout had announced in January his intention to play collegiately at USC. He had also landed a high-profile endorsement deal before even starting his college career.
Arenas averaged 30.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this season for Chatsworth High School in California. His prep accomplishments led to him being named as a McDonald’s All-American, and he was heavily recruited before ultimately picking the Trojans.
